Glory to the Filmmaker!

Okay... that was a TRIP! Holy moly! I'm usually not a fan of movies without plots or anything that doesn't engage the viewer but somehow Takeshi Kitano managed to make a movie that is so silly and so fundamentally engaging that plot is not needed at all. One should view this movie as a sort of state of the auteur and how his relationship to his art has changed him, the viewer and his movies.

As I said, the movie doesn't really have a plot instead it pokes fun at Takeshi's own work with a critical but also a sarcastic and comedic eye- it isn't until the halfway point of the movie (or after the first 40 mins or so) where the movie settles on a really crazy hi jinx sci-fi romantic story starring a mother and her daughter and Takeshi and his own stand-in doll character. The doll character is perhaps the symbolism that most prevails during the movie's own runtime, acting as a stand-in for the director (perhaps a reflection on his own stoicism? Or how he feels as a director?). As you can hear from me I'm still not sure what this movie is really about, and maybe that's the point- just a trip to Takeshi Kitano's mind- and boy is it funny! It's filled with absurd comedy that'll make you laugh. I don't understand why it says in the genre labels of this movie that it's a drama cause it certainly is not!

Moviemaking wise it's shot really beautifully and stylised it has some cheesy elements of bad CGI and effects that are meant to be like that in the movie.

Otherwise I have no more words to describe what I just watched, you just have to see it for yourself! For me it's definitely one of my fav Takeshi Kitano movies so far and I'm happy I saw this one! For any other viewer I'd recommend to just turn off your brain and have fun, cause there's no logic to anything that happens- it's an absurd comedy skit where the only thing that makes some sense is the beginning and the end.

It's a question how much of an impression that Monty Python made in Japan overall but it certainly seems to be an influence on Kitano's latest work. Certainly Terry Gilliam's signature title graphics for Life of Brian and Meaning of Life are alluded to in this film.

The film starts as the narrator gives an account on how Kitano's newest film is coming along. Since Kitano is uncomfortable with the genres of Romance and family drama, these films are abandoned and he is given some action fare to work with. The results are less than satisfactory so it's decided to have Kitano direct an asteroid on collision with earth film. This takes us about 45 minutes into the real film and at this point things get very strange. A mother and daughter (the mother has a giraffe doll on her back and the daughter has a goose puppet on one arm) decide to not pay for a bowl of noodles by dropping a cockroach (that they carry around for just an occasion) into the food and complaining to the chef. But before they can complain, a bunch of professional wrestlers at another table complain about roaches in their food. The two chefs come out and beat up the wrestlers. Kitano plays an assistant to a weird chairman of a society that's devoted to performing odd acts of charity. The chairman's son looks a lot like the Mr. Gumby character from Monty Python.

Kitano speaks very little in this film. Mostly he is silent and immobile much like the metal doll that stands in for him during the fight sequences. Once we get into the second half, he loosens up especially during his pantomime comedy bits. The film seems like it's a statement about being an aging film maker in the Japanese entertainment world. Unfortunately, for me the pacing was very slow at times and could have had a good 10 minutes cut out without losing any content. I laughed at some of the film but by the end I was wondering if the film was just Kitano screwing around with ideas.

I enjoyed watching this film but I have a had time recommending it to anyone but Kitano fans.

Takeshi's gang hit again. And its a good one. But I am a fan, so don't consider much my opinion. Just keep in mind about this film that if not anything else, it will expand your mind about what is cinema today. That doesn't mean that everything is fresh or striking in those two hours, nor that there is a serious possibility that you will like it, if you ain't a "Kitano-fan"!

Then again, Mr. Kitano has stopped making films for the audience or the critics (whatever that means). And the results only his fans can appreciate it. All the rest, better go back and revisit his previous films. Then, you too, will want to shout,

"Kantoku...Banzai!!!",

indeed!!!!!

How many truly unique films have come out since the year 2000? Not too many. In an age of remakes, rehashes, and parodies, where every film by every director looks exactly the same, it's hard to find an innovative film, especially in the "comedy" genre. Yet once again Kitano delivers in this surreal comedy gem that is unique, deeply personal, affecting on a spiritual level, and is absolutely HILARIOUS.

Takeshi's previous film, "Takeshis'" was a surreal compilation of every film Kitano had made prior to it. This film is something of a compilation of all the kinds of films he hasn't made yet. The first half of this film explores that to a hilarious degree, but the second half is when this film really shines. Some of the most off-the-wall, UNREAL humor I've ever seen in a film, specifically a brief animated part near the end that is probably the greatest scene I've ever seen in a film, period.

Though for nostalgic reasons, my PERSONAL favorite Kitano films will always be "Hana-Bi" and "Sonatine", I have noticed that Takeshi has actually been getting better and better in recent years (excluding "Zatoichi") as he is starting to explore the more surreal, beautiful, and bizarre moments only hinted at in his first few films. Indeed, like many people, I find Takeshi to be the best director currently working in the world today, and his films are always gems... he's completely tearing apart the very essence of cinema, yet still not jumping into a black hole of impenetrable artiness. "Art for art's sake", maybe, but this is still some brilliant, hilarious stuff, and I'm very happy Takeshi is taking all the money he earns from his acting and personal appearances and pouring them into these brilliant films. The "critics" and Japanese audiences may not care for them, but I'm sure in 10-20 years from now, these films be looked upon as classics of cinema.

So.. Kitano has a sense of humor after all! Just kidding. The movie has some points for the general audience but most of it requires some background in history of Japanese cinema, kitano's career, kitano way of life, etc..

So if you really want to see everything from Kitano's factory it's OK to watch, if you are really knowledgeable about all that stuff you probably got to watch it, but if you are neither one of them then you'll do fine without even knowing that it exists, although if you watch it (and have the presence of mind of not expecting much of it) then you can have a reasonably good time with it.

Kitano is having a hard time accepting he is meant to make movies of a special kind which is not the case of this movie.. He even mentions it in the movie: "I said I wont do another movie with violence and I got to stick to it" Well.. I'm afraid our dear Mr Kitano will have to swallow those words sooner or later, preferably long before he runs out of money.